The changes come despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s continuing recommendation that masks be used indoors in most of the country.
Few mask restrictions remain. On Jan. 28, 12 states required masks in some or all settings, but as of Tuesday only five, plus Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., still have any restrictions in place. Of these states, several have announced plans to lift them by the end of February or beginning of March.
The end of restrictions comes with some caveats. For example, in New York, masks must still be worn in public transportation, nursing homes, correctional facilities and homeless shelters.
Washington state plans to lift its outdoor mask mandate Feb. 18 and still requires masking indoors. And for many, school restrictions will remain for at least the coming weeks.
Nevada is taking another approach. On Thursday, the state’s governor, Democrat Steve Sisolak, opted to lift mask requirements in schools, medical settings and businesses.
Experts say masking provides some protection even when those around you are not wearing one. However, many people who are immunocompromised have said lifting restrictions would make it difficult to safely do basic activities, such as going to the grocery store.
Covid cases continue declining across most states, and the nationwide case average declined to about 157,000 as of end of day Monday, a figure close to the delta surge’s mid-September peak of nearly 167,000. The country has averaged more than 2,000 reported deaths a day for almost four weeks.
Angela Yang and Joe Murphy contributed.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
